NEW ESWATINI AIR ROUTE TO DURBAN
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NEW ESWATINI AIR ROUTE TO DURBAN
Exciting news! Today marks the launch of Eswatini Air's new route direct flight from Eswatini to Durban.
The route commenced operations today the 5th of May 2023. The route will be operated by an Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft with a maximum capacity of 50 passengers, and initially, three flights per week will be available on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, with plans to increase frequencies to seven times a week from June 2023, based on demand.
The MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs and the leader of Government Business Mr Siboniso Duma remarked , "We are pleased to announce the launch of our new route between Eswatini and Durban. This route not only enhances the tourism potential between the two destinations but also strengthens trade relations.
'Eswatini is one of the key regional tourism markets and shares strong historical and cultural ties with the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Pre-pandemic, tourist arrivals from Eswatini averaged 290 000 per annum and in 2022 tourist arrivals demonstrated a strong recovery of 89%. This presents an exciting opportunity for Eswatini Air to grow as a partner in accelerating the recovery of tourism between the two destinations."
The introduction of this new route is expected to facilitate trade between KwaZulu-Natal and Eswatini, further strengthening the already strong economic relations between the two destinations. According to the World Bank, over 60% of exports from Eswatini come to South Africa, and over 80% of Eswatini's imports come from South Africa. The new route will also provide a significant boost to the regional tourism market, with Eswatini being one of the key regional tourism markets and having strong historical and cultural ties with the province of KwaZulu-Natal.